Dress Up
by ILeftMyHeartInLondon
Summary: She tugged me down and put her hand on my cheek. The image that rushed into me froze me like a statue. For I was the one dressed in the tutu." Jasper finds that looking after Nessie is harder than it seems!
1. Chapter 1

Dress Up

"Please?" Bella's topaz eyes widened. "Please, Jasper."

I sighed. "Can't Esme do it? She'd be much better suited to this kind of thing."

"I'd love to do it," Esme called from the kitchen, and in an instant she was next to Bella, wringing her hands. "But I _need_ to go out hunting. It's been almost three weeks." The urgency was plain in her voice, and I was inwardly thankful that Alice and I had taken a trip by ourselves a few weeks ago.

Then I heard Reneesme's giggle from the other room, and paused. Actually, upon consideration, maybe I _would_ rather suffer maddeningly intense thirst than do what she was asking …

"Car-?" I tried.

"He's going too," Esme cut me off. Of course he was. Esme was no athlete, and he rarely let her out of his sight on the trips.

"What about Rose and Emmett?" I asked hopefully, clutching at straws.

Bella looked thoughtful. "They're going hunting too, but I don't suppose they really _need_ to go …"

"Then why can't _they_ do it?" I asked in exasperation.

Bella sighed. "I dunno … Emmett and Nessie … The house will be in flames if we let those two together."

Alice snickered, and I heard Emmett call from the other room. "I heard that!"

"It's true," Esme admitted, laughing. "And it's good bear season – I doubt he'd want to miss this trip. Alice, Jasper – you two would be the best people to do this."

"I don't mind doing it," Alice said brightly. She turned to me. "It's for Bella. Come on, Jazz …"

My eyes widened in desperation. "I dunno … a _kid_ … I've never done anything like that before … How do I keep her happy?"

Bella groaned. "Play every game in the house, and let her win them all. Let her go to bed at eight thirty when her bedtime's at eight. Give her piggybacks up and down the stairs. Pretend you're her pony and she's the princess."

Alice grinned. "Jasper will love that."

She wrapped her arm about my waist, and I sighed in defeat. "Fine. But you two better be back in twenty four hours, or I'm going to do something drastic."

Bella nodded earnestly, and Edward appeared at her side, Nessie in his arms. "Ready to go?" he asked.

"Too ready," she admitted ruefully. "Nessie?"

The little girl reached her arms out to her, and Bella enfolded her in an embrace. "Remember how I said Aunt Alice and Uncle Jasper were going to watch you for the weekend?" Bella asked, looking her in the eye. Nessie nodded silently, looking worried. "It's just a day, honey. You'll have fun."

"Be a good girl, Ness," Edward said, smiling and kissing her on the cheek. Bella kissed her as well, and then passed her easily into Alice's arms. Nessie immediately nestled into Alice's white neck, lovingly patting her stone cheek with her little hand. Alice smiled warmly at her, and for a moment I was frozen with awe.

Alice turned to me, her eyebrows raised. "What?"

"Nothing," I said quickly, embarrassed. Maybe it was a girl thing to be naturally good at these types of things. Or maybe I had some sort of genetic defection. That would explain a lot, actually.

Nessie turned to look up at me with wide brown eyes, slight trepidation in their depths. Alice laughed easily. "He's not scary, love. Really, he's just a big teddy bear." Nessie looked doubtful, wrapping her arms around Alice's neck to clutch her closer. "Look how small I am, Nessie," Alice said. "And I'm _never_ afraid of him."

I growled slightly under my breath, and she chuckled wickedly, her eyes sparkling. Bella laughed too. "You guys should be fine," she said, in a tone that showed he was trying to convince herself, and with a reluctant goodbye kiss to Nessie, she and the rest of the family disappeared quickly out of the door.

Nessie's eyes glistened with momentary tears, and Alice rubbed her back soothingly, bouncing her up and down. "We're going to have lots of fun, Ness. You won't even know they're gone." I stepped forward awkwardly, and she buried her face into Alice's collarbone in fright. Alice kissed her head, looking at me meaningfully.

"Uh – um, Nessie? How about … er … some TV?" Even Sesame Street would be a welcome relief from this.

She shook her head silently. Alice widened her eyes. _You can do better than that, Jasper._

"Well, what about some … board games?"

She pulled away from Alice to make a face. Then she put her hand on Alice's cheek. Alice closed her eyes to watch, and then opened them, laughing. "No, Jasper won't want to do that," she said. "We should do something else."

"What's your idea?" I asked in frustration.

Nessie and Alice both turned to me, the excited expression identical on their faces. I felt a pang of foreboding.

It was Nessie who spoke. "Dress up," she said simply.

Oh no.

**Author's Note: Please review! There are more chapters coming soon - the craziness is just getting started! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Nessie pulled us eagerly into our room and to an overstuffed toy chest with all sorts of frilly, pink, and sparkly dress ups. I saw Alice's eyes light up. Heaven help me. My fashionista wife and her little niece. They'd be here for hours. I wondered whether I could make my exit now, or if I should wait until they were too immersed to notice. I decided to wait, and sat down in a chair to watch.

"So, Nessie, what outfit are we doing today?" asked Alice excitedly, kneeling next to the toy chest and pulling out a few dresses.

Nessie reached her hand out for her cheek, but changed her mind, speaking instead so she could keep digging through the chest. "Princess."

Alice pulled out a few fluffy dresses. "Which princess? This looks like Snow White, and here's Cinderella …"

Nessie cocked her head to ponder. "No," she decided. "Barbie of Swan Lake."

Alice looked at me blankly. We knew about the common Disney characters from the ads on TV, but the newfangled ones were alien to us. However, Nessie knew what she was doing. After a few minutes of silent searching, she pulled out a frilly pink ballet tutu. It was the type that made me gag on sight – I began to seriously contemplate leaving the room.

"Want me to help you in, Nessie?" asked Alice, reaching for the tutu.

Nessie shook her head, and put her hand on Alice's cheek. Alice closed her eyes and they both grew still for a moment. Then Nessie broke away and Alice's eyes popped open wide. "No way, Nessie," she said firmly. "Don't do that. You can dress me."

Nessie shook her head, and Alice looked positively alarmed. "Ness, that's really not a good idea!" she warned.

"What?" I asked, and they both looked at me in surprise, as if they'd forgotten I was there.

"Nothing," Alice said quickly, but we heard a sniffle from Nessie and tears began to flow from her eyes. "Oh, honey!" she exclaimed, sweeping her onto her lap and turning to glare at me.

"What did I do?" I asked in bewilderment. This was getting insane.

Her look turned crafty. "Nothing. It's what you _wouldn't_ do."

"What wouldn't I do?" I said, becoming frustrated. Only a female would say something like that!

"Since you wouldn't do it, it doesn't matter," she said, turning away to comfort Nessie. I could tell by her expression that she had a trick up her sleeve, but the sight of tears – something I hadn't seen in a hundred years – made me desperate.

"Okay, okay, I'll do it, whatever it is."

Nessie's tears dissolved, and she looked up at me as if I was her greatest hero of all time. She jumped out of Alice's arms and hugged my leg. Man, that kid sure could be cute sometimes …

But then she ran back to the toy chest, and brought over the frilly tutu. She tugged me down and put her little hand eagerly on my cheek. The image that rushed into me froze me like a statue.

For _I_ was the one dressed in the tutu.


	3. Chapter 3

I broke away, swearing under my breath.

"Jasper …" Alice said warningly, moving to cover Nessie's ears.

"No way am I doing that!" I said, backing into the corner. "_You_ dress up in that … _thing_. It's meant for girls!" I said defensively.

Nessie put her hand on Alice's shoulder, and Alice laughed. "She says boys do ballet too."

"How does she know?" I demanded.

Alice paused for Nessie's answer. "She says in 'Barbie of Swan Lake', the prince dances with the princess."

"But not in a tutu!"

She paused again. "Nessie says she doesn't have any boy ballet clothes."

Great. Just great. Edward and Bella were definitely going to pay for this.

Then Alice burst out laughing, and she turned to me, smiling wickedly. "She also says that her daddy dresses up in the tutu for her."

"Are you _kidding_?" I exclaimed, grinning. Ha! Edward, especially, was going to pay for this. I'd tell Emmett, and we'd never let him forget it.

But the problem of _my_ wearing the tutu still remained. "Can't Alice be the boy?" I asked desperately. "She'll fit better."

"I bet Edward's already stretched it out enough for you," Alice said quietly, her eyes dancing with mirth.

Crap. It was true. I wavered, but upon seeing Nessie's eyes beginning to tear, I snatched the tutu from her and began tugging it over my jeans. Crap, crap, crap.

Nessie squealed and ran back to her toy chest to put on her own tutu. Alice sat on the bed to watch, her eyes sparkling as she vainly suppressed her giggles. I awkwardly tugged at the repulsive frills, feeling my jeans wrinkle where the kiddie leg holes were stretched to the max. Edward may have stretched it out for me, but I was bigger than him than I had thought …

When I finally got it on, I pointed a finger at her warningly, trying to look stern in spite of the hideous ruffles protruding from my waist. "Not a laugh, Alice." Her mouth became solemn, but her eyes still danced. I fought back a growl, putting my hands on my hips.

"You look _beautiful, _Uncle Jazz!" Nessie exclaimed. Gee, thanks, kid.

She pulled me down and tied a ghastly pink ribbon around my head. Then she touched my shoulder, and I saw the two of us dancing around the room. Heaven help me.

I looked at Alice, who was blinking her eyes the way she did after a vision. A huge smirk grew over her face. Man oh man, I was going to _die …_

"Let's get it over with," I said hurriedly, avoiding her gaze and bending down to grab Nessie's hands. "What do I do?

Nessie looked at me as if I was very stupid. I realized why. "Okay, I see. You already showed me. Uhh, okay, I guess …"

Alice turned on some sprightly classical music, the type that made bile rise in my throat. I glowered at her, and she grinned back, leaning back on the bed with the expression of one anticipating the beginning of a very enjoyable movie. Trying to ignore her, I awkwardly grabbed Nessie's hands, and she began skipping around the room, taking me with her.

Most of the dance was conducted by her – if I was too slow or dancing without appropriate enthusiasm, she would motion for me to hold still while she did a small solo, twirling graceful circles around me, then taking my hands to resume the torture once more. At appropriate intervals she would do funny little leaps and bows, gesturing for me to copy her. My humiliation was complete. Alice sat on the bed, laughing uncontrollably, and asking enthusiastically for an encore.

After what seemed like an hour, Nessie stopped and curtsied gravely. I bowed, feeling that was at least _one_ thing that felt familiar in this whole business. Alice clapped frantically, and Nessie beamed at her.

"Can I take this off now?" I asked, trying to keep my voice from a whine, but standing there looking like a duck in my tutu was really beginning to get to me. Nessie waved her hand regally in dismissal, and I tugged it off in an instant, flinging it into the chest.

I'd never trust that little girl again.

**Author's Note: Please review - I appreciate any comments that you leave me! More is coming tomorrow! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Night was beginning to fall, and Nessie yawned. Alice looked at the clock, surprised. I sure wasn't – it felt like I'd been dancing for seven years.

"Time for bed, Ness," she said, lifting her gently into her arms. She opened the little chest of drawers for a nightgown, and, after an awkward hesitation, I left for a few minutes while Nessie was dressed.

I quietly poked my head back in when I heard Nessie slide under the covers. The room was dark, except for a dim light on her nightstand. "I don't want to go to bed, Auntie Alice," Nessie whispered, clutching Alice's hand. Alice sat down on the bed next to her.

"Don't you want to have some nice dreams tonight?" she asked smilingly.

Nessie shook her head. "It's more fun with you and Uncle Jasper."

Alice thought for a moment, and I watched the two of them together, glowing softly but strangely in the light. "Well, I'll tell you something, Nessie." Her tone was serious, and Nessie leaned in closer to hear. "I've _never_ had a dream."

Nessie gasped. "Never _ever_?"

"Never ever," Alice repeated solemnly. "I can't remember a single time even sleeping."

Nessie looked thoughtful. "Don't you ever wonder what it's like?"

Alice sighed. "Sometimes ... Sometimes, I think about it." My throat constricted as I remembered the horrible day when we had learned the truth about her past. The three black days where her horror had run too deep to even speak.

"I'm sorry, Aunt Alice," Nessie said softly. Alice patted her hand soothingly, and they were both silent. Then Nessie spoke quietly. "I have an idea."

"What?" Alice asked, her voice warm.

"How about when I wake up, I can show you what I dreamed." Nessie paused. "It would be _almost_ like the real thing, I promise."

"That would be lovely, darling," Alice said softly. She pulled up the covers to Nessie's chin. "So how about you get to sleep so you can have some nice things to show me tomorrow morning?"

Nessie nodded, and Alice motioned for me to come in. I jumped a bit in surprise, wondering how long she had known I was there, but Alice was discreet with things like that. I walked in tentatively, not wanting to intrude on their moment.

"Good night, Ness," I said awkwardly.

"Thanks, Uncle Jazz. I had lots of fun." _You better have had fun, kid,_ I thought sourly, but she looked so sweetly innocent I couldn't be angry with her. Yet.

Alice took my hand, and I started to leave, but she didn't move. Instead she looked at Nessie intuitively, hesitating. I knew why – something was missing, something else we had forgotten to do. Then I saw her eyes light up with understanding, and she leaned down to brush her lips to Nessie's forehead.

Nessie smiled up at her, and Alice and I ghosted out of the room, shutting the door behind us.

**Author's Note: Please, please review! There's more to the story - I'll update tomorrow.**


	5. Chapter 5

Alice quietly pulled me out onto the porch, and I enfolded her into my arms, resting my head in her dark hair.

"I – I'm in shock," I said after a moment.

"Why?" she asked, looking up at me smilingly.

"You're so … _good_ with her. With no effort at all."

She laughed her tinkling laugh. "I find it strange, too. Considering I don't remember anything at all about those types of things." Her voice grew quiet, thoughtful. "Childhood. Growing up. All I can remember is just waking up nineteen years old, and being nineteen for the rest of my life."

I clutched her closer for a moment and, sensing that tonight she did not want to discuss the topic further, I changed the subject. "Do you think she likes me?" I asked lightly, pulling away to look at her.

She laughed again, swatting my shoulder gently with her hand. "You definitely scared the heck out of her at the beginning. But I must say, the tutu thing really loosened her up!"

I groaned, closing my eyes. "Please, _never_ remind me of that incident, ever again!"

"I don't know," she teased, her eyes dancing. "I thought you looked pretty darn good with the hair ribbon."

I shook her playfully. "Never again," I warned.

"Even to Esme? She wouldn't laugh – she'd think it was sweet."

I growled, and she laughed, standing on tiptoe to kiss me lightly. "How about it'll be our secret?" she whispered.

I wholeheartedly agreed, and was pulling her closer when a terrible thought struck me. I lifted my head up quickly, and her eyes narrowed in frustration, her fingers still clinging to the lapels of my shirt. "What is it now, Jazz?"

"Edward," I said in frustration. "He'll read my mind and make my life a living hell."

"But he did it too," she pointed out, laughing.

"So I'll just have to get to him first," I said.

I'd do what any ex-Confederate would do. I'd make a plan.

**Author's Note: Sorry, short one today because I'm struggling with different ways to go on what happens next. If anyone has any bright ideas, I'd love to hear them. Thanks for all the reviews so far - I really appreciate them!**


	6. Chapter 6

In the morning, Nessie emerged from her room sleepily. Alice and I were sitting on the couch together, she looking through a clothing catalogue while I read an old war history novel.

"Morning, Ness!" Alice called cheerily, setting aside her magazine. I smiled too, and Alice scooted over so Ness could have a space on the couch between us.

Nessie immediately crawled over next to her aunt, yawning and rubbing her eyes. "Is my mommy coming back today?"

Alice nodded. "In about an hour. You're not too thirsty, are you?"

Nessie shook her head, curling catlike on Alice's lap. Good. I couldn't have her distracted for what she was going to do today.

"Nessie," I began carefully, "Remember how much fun we had yesterday? With the, ahem, dancing?"

She nodded enthusiastically, and Alice shot me a sharp look, wondering what I was planning.

"Well, I – I was wondering if you could do me a little favor," I said hesitantly.

Nessie nodded, her eyes wide. After yesterday, of course she would.

Alice blinked and sighed, turning to me with a weary expression. "Jasper, he's definitely _not_ going to appreciate this."

I chuckled quietly. "He deserves it."

She cracked a smile. "True."

Nessie merely looked quizzically at us. "What is it, Uncle Jazz?"

I paused. "I was just thinking how much Uncle Emmett would enjoy seeing what cool stuff you do with the … um …. tutu." It felt like an ugly word.

"You want me to show him how we danced?" she asked, her eyebrows drawing together.

I pretended to think about it. "That sounds like a good idea. But hey! Why don't you show him you dancing with your daddy? I'm sure you two dance a lot better together because you've practiced more." Her special gift had certainly come in handy these days.

She nodded thoughtfully. "We _did_ dance just a little bit better."

I began to get excited. "So when Uncle Emmett gets home, you'll show him how you danced with your daddy?"

She grinned. "Okay!" She turned to Alice, who, to my surprise, was shaking with silent laughter.

"What's wrong, Auntie?" she asked, her dark eyes wide with innocence.

Alice turned to me, grinning. "I think Nessie misunderstood you, Jasper."

"What?" I said, confused.

She turned away, but not before I caught a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. "You'll see."

Then she took Nessie's hand and stood up. "Want to walk a bit outside while we wait, love?"

Nessie nodded, and the two of them were out of the door before I could say another word.

**Author's Note: Sorry about the long wait for this. I wanted to make sure my ending was straightened out before I started posting the next few chapters. I'll probably update tomorrow. Thanks for all the reviews! :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: Some of you asked me to do longer chapters, and I thought that was a good point, because I have a tendency to make some of them annoyingly short. But when I decided to make this one longer, but it ended up a LOT longer than I thought! So I hope this isn't too much of a novel for all of you!**

**Anyway, there's probably going to only be one or two more chapters after this. I'll update again soon. Please keep the reviews coming! Thanks!**

...

...

...

"We're HO-OME!"

"We went up through the mountains on that little trail …"

"Yes, there was quite a nice herd of elk by the river, and …"

"Mommy!"

Hearing the voices of my family outside, I went out to join Alice and Nessie in greeting them. I stepped onto the porch to see Nessie in Bella's arms, Emmett talking boisterously in his booming voice with Rose at his side, and Carlisle and Esme quietly telling Alice about their trip.

"Was she good, Jasper?"

I turned to see Edward behind me, unused camping equipment in his arms to bring to the garage.

He had caught me off guard, but I was ready. "Of course she was, Edward," I said smoothly, keeping my mind blank except for passing thoughts of a quiet evening and peaceful slumber. It was difficult, but it wasn't like we weren't practiced at that sort of thing. It would have been easier to translate something into Arabic, but then he would have known something was up. So instead I let harmless thoughts drift easily through my head.

He nodded, satisfied, and continued to the garage. Just in case, I kept my thoughts guarded until I was inside the house. The rest of the family followed me, still chattering. Then I heard Nessie's excited voice from her bedroom.

"Come in here, Uncle Emmett," she chirped, and I slipped quietly into her closet to watch. Through the crack I saw Nessie take Emmett's hand and lead him into her bedroom.

"I wanted to show you something," she said happily. Emmett looked bewildered, but he shrugged his shoulders.

"Okay, kid." He grinned and held out his hand.

Nessie looked at his hand, puzzled. _Come on, Ness_, I thought wildly._ What are you waiting for?_

"What are you doing, Uncle Emmett?" she asked quizzically, staring at him with her head cocked to the side.

"Uhh …" his grin faltered. "I thought you were going to show me something."

"I am." Nessie bounced happily in place, and then walked to her toy chest. Suddenly everything Alice had said about a misunderstanding became clear.

He wasn't going to see Edward. He was about to become the third victim.

"There's this really, _really_ fun game called Barbie of Swan Lake," she said in a rush, rummaging around for the dreaded costume. "And I get to be the princess Barbie and I get to dance and be graceful and charming and beautiful and _you_ get to be the prince!"

The words came out so fast that Emmett stood by her bed in shock. "W-wait," he said. "I'm confused … _what_ exactly are we doing?"

Then Nessie pulled out the tutu and ran over to Emmett. "You wear it," she said cheerily, already tugging on her own princess outfit. "And I'll show you the dance I do with my daddy!"

Emmett's expression was a comical mix of horror, surprise, disgust, and humor. "Edward wore _that_?" he said, incredulous.

"What else would he wear to dance with me?" Nessie asked innocently.

"HA!" Emmett boomed suddenly, making her jump. "I can't BELIEVE it! This is the FUNNIEST thing I've ever HEARD! HAHAHAHA!" His laughter made the walls shake, and Nessie covered her ears.

"Uncle Emmett!" she cried, and with a great effort he reduced his laughter to chuckles. He looked down at her, his mouth twisting with humor and a wicked sparkle in his eyes. I could practically hear him plotting how to tease Edward.

"What are you waiting for?" Nessie said impatiently, breaking him out of his reverie. "I need to show you the dance!"

His grin vanished. "No way!" he cried, backing away hastily. "You get your _daddy_ to do it!"

Instantly, Nessie's eyes welled up and she sniffled. Then there was a loud bang as Rosalie flung open the door.

"What's going on?" she said angrily. "Why is Ness crying?"

"Uncle Emmett won't play with me," Nessie blubbered, wiping her eyes.

Rosalie turned to look at Emmett forbiddingly, her eyes sparking with fury. "Emmett?"

He backed further into the corner, looking frightened. "Uhh … yes?"

Her eyes narrowed and she put her hands on her hips. "You are _going_ into that tutu, or I'll …"

"Yes, ma'am," he said meekly. All tears forgotten, Nessie beamed at her patroness and handed Emmett the tutu. He quickly stepped into it, slight ripping sounds emanating from the leg holes, all the while casting nervous glances at Rosalie.

When I saw him waddle over to the bed, ruffles protruding from his hips, I couldn't contain it any longer, and burst out of the closet, laughing so hard I gasped for breath.

"You!" Emmett exclaimed, looking murderous despite the pink frills encasing him. "Why are you here?!"

Before I could speak, Alice danced into the room, followed by a bemused Bella and Edward.

"I figured something exciting was going on," Alice said gaily, dropping sinuously on the bed. She looked up at Emmett, grinning. "So, are we having a performance?"

Edward chuckled, and Bella smiled. Emmett's face twisted comically, and he turned to Rosalie. "Rose," he implored.

"Do it," Rosalie commanded, her voice steely. She sat down next to Alice, smiling smugly. Then her voice turned to sugar. "Go ahead, darling," she called sweetly to Nessie, and Nessie immediately took Emmett's hands.

She turned to her father. "Daddy," she said, "You didn't see, but it will be just like last evening when …"

"Stop!" I cried, but I knew it was too late. A huge grin spread over Edward's face, mocking me.

_I'm warning you, Edward. Don't say anything. I have blackmail, too – Alice has some pretty good images of you in that tutu._

The grin slid off his face and he turned away, fuming. The room became awkwardly silent, with Edward clenching his hands, me looking anxiously at the ground, our wives sitting confusedly on the bed, and poor Emmett standing in the middle of the room holding hands with Nessie.

"Wait a second …" Bella said suddenly, breaking the silence. "Edward … you didn't …"

Rosalie's eyes lit up, and I knew all hope was lost. "Jasper …"

Alice only grinned at me, and I knew the secret was out.

"All right, all right!" I cried, slumping against the wall in defeat. "All three of us have become victims!"

Bella burst out laughing. "Edward … that's what you were doing that evening!" He looked embarrassed. "Nessie!" Bella said, chuckling. "There's definitely something you need to show me this evening!"

Edward growled, but Bella ignored him. "I got to see Jasper dance _in person_," Alice said smugly. I growled too, but she just grinned at me.

Then Emmett started to try to edge inconspicuously out of the room. "Hold it!" Rosalie cried. "I want to see _my_ husband dance, too!"

Nessie pulled him back, and Alice turned on the same sprightly classical music before sitting back down on the bed, her face lit up excitedly.

"No …" Emmett moaned, but Nessie blithely grabbed his hands and started twirling him. We sat in fits of laughter as he awkwardly pranced around, each leap causing a large ripping sound to echo throughout the room. Pieces of ribbon and tulle lay scattered around the room, and I heard Alice groan softly at the tutu's destruction.

Finally Nessie broke away and curtsied, and Emmett bowed hastily before tearing off what was left of the tutu.

Alice and Rosalie lay on the bed, too consumed with laughter to say a word. Bella giggled, and Edward walked over to Emmett to shake his hand.

"Congratulations," he said solemnly, but his eyes twinkled. "You've been initiated to the Tutu Society."

"Meetings are whenever Nessie needs a babysitter …" broke in Bella, laughing.

"…Which will be _never again_," I finished firmly, looking down at the little demon with what I hoped was a stern gaze. Nessie only smiled up at me. I heard Alice laugh.

"Come on, Jazz. I think she's growing on you," she said.

"Children? Never."

She got up from the bed to wrap her arm around my waist. "I know you'd never admit it," she said, smiling. "But I know she has you wrapped around her little finger."

I sighed inwardly. My wife knew me so well.

But admit it? Never.


End file.
